OB Standards of Care
This should be performed every 30 to 60 minutes during labor to promote fetal descent and maternal comfort.
What is changing positions?
This medication is commonly used to induce or augment labor by stimulating uterine contractions.
What is Pitocin?
This size of IV gauge is recommended before administering an epidural.
What is an 18 gauge?
This person is the only one allowed to administer nitrous oxide during labor.
Who is the patient?
This "P" refers to the baby's position and size as it navigates the birth canal.
What is passenger?
This monitoring practice is essential to assess the fetal heart rate in relation to uterine activity.
What is fetal monitoring?
This mechanical method involves inserting a catheter to help dilate the cervix during labor induction.
What is the Cervical Ripening Bulb?
This should be assessed every hour to evaluate the sensory level after epidural placement.
What is a Dermatome level assessment?
This common side effect of nitrous oxide requires monitoring.
What is dizziness?
This hormone increases when a laboring person feels safe, loved, and nurtured.
What is Endogenous Oxytocin?
These types of exams should be minimized after the membranes rupture unless necessary.
What are vaginal exams?
This term describes excessive uterine contractions, defined as more than 5 in 10 minutes.
What is tachysystole?
This monitoring practice should occur every 5 minutes initially after epidural placement to detect hypotension.
What are BP checks?
This condition is a contraindication for using nitrous oxide if the patient's BMI is greater than 45.
What is obstructive sleep apnea?
The release of these hormones increases with stress, fear, pain, unfamiliar environments, and anxiety, leading to decreased blood flow to the uterus and reduced oxygen supply to the fetus.
What are catecholamines?
A low-risk, active labor patient with reassuring fetal status may ambulate in the hall but should be instructed to return to her room at this interval for fetal heart rate assessment and documentation.
What is every 15 minutes?
This medication is contraindicated in women with a history of cesarean birth or uterine scar.
What is Misoprostol (Cytotec)?
This intervention is critical if the patient experiences respiratory distress after epidural placement.
What is turning off the epidural pump and notifying anesthesia immediately?
Nitrous Oxide must be discontinued for this amount of time before an epidural consent can be signed.
What is 30 minutes?
One of the Five P's of labor, this refers to the birth canal, including the cervix, pelvic bones, and soft tissues, through which the baby must pass during labor.
What is Passageway?
Following the placement of an epidural, blood pressure and pulse should be documented and assessed at this interval for the first 15 minutes and until stabilized with 3 good blood pressures.
What is every 5 minutes?
This is the required waiting period before administering Oxytocin after the last dose of vaginal Cytotec.
What is 4 hours?
This position is recommended after epidural placement to avoid compression of major blood vessels.
What is left or right lateral positioning?
This specific contraindication for nitrous oxide use is related to a patient's nutritional deficiency, which could result in serious neurological complications.
What is pernicious anemia (B-12 deficiency)?
This term refers to the relationship of the fetal parts to each other, typically described as either flexion or extension in relation to the fetal spine.
What is Fetal Attitude?